DEDHAM, MA â€“ JUNE 6, 2005 â€“ Magic Hat Software (www.magichatsoftware.com) announced today that the Open Beta for its MMORPG Irth Online (www.irthonline.com) begins today and runs through July 5, 2005. Gamers are encouraged to apply for the Open Beta on the Irth Online website.

â€œWe scheduled our Open Beta relatively late in the development cycle because we wanted our gamers to have the deepest and most complete experience we could provide,â€ says Alan Chipura, Lead Game Designer. â€œWeâ€™ve paid close attention to the input provided by earlier testers and our changes and improvements are up to date, so we expect the Open Beta test to go smoothly.â€

About Irth Online

Irth Onlineâ€™s virtual world is populated by three distinct PvP civilizations -- The Arcadians in the snowy north, The Morbus in the southeastern swamps, and The Mezoteks in the tropical southwest â€“ which have a thousand-year history of battling to capture the resources of the others to ensure survival. This persistent state of war inspired peace-loving pilgrims from all three civilizations to form their own civilization, and this fourth civilization in Irth Online is non-PvP, and survives via commerce in lieu of combat. Players join Irthâ€™s history at a period when a fragile truce exists, and determine the course of history of each civilization.

The persistent world environment of Irth Online features an open ended skill system. Players may learn any skill offered in the game without facing limitations of race or class. Irth Online's advancement system has a unique skill-over-time feature, allowing all characters to enjoy adventures together, regardless of experience level.

Magic Hat Softwareâ€™s in-house created engine uses the very latest technology in terms of DirectX9 effect files and vertex and pixel shaders (which include per-pixel lighting and bump/specular environment maps); allows creation of highly detailed characters with animation blending; extended visibility for the player (up to 10 miles in every direction); and unlimited, changeable terrain size with seamless background resource loading.

Irth Online is scheduled for release in July, 2005.

About Magic Hat Software
Magic Hat Software was established in July 2003 in Massachusetts. The team is committed to the idea of creating a virtual world without artificial limits on player behavior or play style, and trusting players to determine their own game experiences. Irth Online is Magic Hat Softwareâ€™s first commercial MMORPG.